The gig economy continues to thrive as more organizations adopt cloud-based work processes. Freelancer.com CEO Matt Barrie explains that demand for freelancers has always been strong, although it shot up exponentially during the pandemic given the need for business continuity. In the US alone, the industry grew 28% from early 2021 to the same time this year. Big companies like IBM and even government agencies such as NASA outsource some of their projects to maintain productivity and growth.
As much as 87% of enterprises worldwide acknowledge that there’s a skills gap, especially in the tech sector. Hiring freelancers can be a more efficient solution to address this need than in-house training. The sheer amount of gig opportunities are motivating many freelancers to shift to a more cloud-based workflow to provide services faster and better.
Online file management is among the most common tasks with regard to working on the cloud. Our post ‘6 Convenient Tech Tools For Small Businesses’ lists cloud storage as essential software for this purpose, and freelancers use it, too. What makes it work are cloud databases. Think of your cloud storage as a locker. A cloud database is the locker room, which has many lockers. They can contain all sorts of digital resources, from files and apps to entire systems made up of different programs.
That’s just one of the benefits of cloud databases. Here are five more ways how this technology can help freelancers:
Stronger Collaboration
As a freelancer, you may be asked to handle one segment of a big project, while others do the same. The cloud database allows real-time collaboration by logging and applying changes on the material you’re working on. Every action you make is received by the tool you’re using, which is then sent to the cloud database to be implemented accordingly.
Google Sheets, for instance, lets multiple users work on the same file simultaneously. It runs on the Google Cloud platform that’s connected to a cloud database. This is the platform that supports G Suite, the set of applications which include the example above, Google Drive, and Gmail, among others.
Improved Workflow
Every freelancer has their own way of working and since cloud databases host all kinds of software, you’re free to manage productivity with the tools of your choice. For instance, we previously highlighted alternatives to G Suite that may be used for various purposes like document sharing and task management. These programs that can enhance a freelancer’s workflow rely on cloud databases to run smoothly and effectively.
No Downtime
For a lot of freelancers, they chose this path so that they are able to work practically anywhere with an internet connection. An application or software running on a cloud database is accessible 24/7, meaning downtime is hardly a problem. An article by 99 Percent Lifestyle for freelancers even mentions that you don’t necessarily have to install a lot of software for this set up to work. Programs can be used entirely online, backed by cloud databases that do the heavy lifting.
A good example is WordPress, which may be used by freelance writers to build and run a blog without downloading or installing it on their computer. You can use WordPress online for free by opening its website on your browser.
Cost-Effective Scaling
Scaling projects is common among freelance digital marketers as well as tech experts like developers and network engineers. It may entail changes like acquiring additional hardware and software to handle more complex server provisioning and memory allocation. Using cloud databases is a relatively more affordable option because the needed infrastructure dynamically adjusts to the requirements. The costs change as you go and you pay only for what you use.
Take for example the scalable work environment of MongoDB, a general-purpose database for building applications. It can accommodate small-scale projects to enterprise-level systems. You can get started with MongoDB online for free and manage your database using the same platform or push integration with public cloud providers.
Better Asset Tracking
One significant challenge of freelancing is asset tracking – monitoring and organizing contracts, invoices, etc. Cloud databases make this process less tedious by automating data classification.
Once your database is properly set up, one container may be used for contracts and client info, while another is for accounting. All you have to do is to save and access your assets in their respective directories. Needless to say, doing it the old-fashioned way will take a lot of your time and focus, aspects that could’ve gone to getting and finishing more projects.
All in all, cloud databases form the backbone of online work environments. Freelancers all over the world will reap more of its benefits as the technology gets more innovations down the line.
